'The Addams Family' next at Brundage Park Playhouse

Performance Dates: October 4, 11 and 18 at 8:00 pm, October 5, 12 and 19 at 5:00 pm and October 6 and 13 at 2:00 pm

THE ADDAMS FAMILY is every father’s nightmare! Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family – a man her parents have never met. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s ‘normal’ boyfriend and his parents.

Ticket prices are $25 for Adults and $20 for Seniors, Children under 12, and Military Personnel.   Tickets can be purchased online through Randolph’s Community Pass system.   All seats are general admission and there is no assigned seating.   Each patron must have a ticket.  Children sitting on parents laps must have a ticket and no babes in arms.

Click here for more information regarding online ticketing.

For further information please contact Brundage Park Playhouse at (973) 989-7092

For more information or call (973) 989-7092 for ticketing questions.

Auditions: The Rocky Horror Show at EXIT 82 Studio Theater

In this cult classic, sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker and a creepy butler. Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named "Rocky." Complete with sass from the audience, cascading toilet paper, and an array of other audience participation props, this deliberately kitschy rock 'n' roll sci-fi gothic musical is more fun than ever. ​ AUDITIONS August 21st and 22nd from 7pm - 9pm Exit 82 Studio at 34C Main St. Toms River Please prepare 32 bars of an upbeat pop/rock song and bring your own sheet music. A pianist will be provided. TICKETS Now on sale! Buy online in advance to reserve your spot. Click here for details The Exit 82 Studio Theater is located at 73 Main Street in downtown Toms River.

Auditions: 'The Ghost Train' at CSC

Centenary Stage Company the professional not-for-profit theatre company in residency on the campus of Centenary University will be holding AEA auditions for the upcoming main stage production of The Ghost Train by Arnold Ridley. Auditions will be held on Wednesday, September 4 from 10:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Auditions will be held in the Edith Kutz Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center located on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Ave.  Auditions are by appointment and interested performers must call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979 – 0900 to schedule. Walk – ups will be seen on a first come first serve basis as time permits.

Arnold Ridley's classic drama was first produced in 1925 and filmed no less than three times. A long running success in London and on Broadway and packed with thrills, chills and laughter. In Maine near the Canadian border there's a legend of a phantom locomotive sweeping through a peaceful village leaving death in its wake. Accidentally stranded in the waiting room of this railway station and despite a psychic station master's weird stories of a ghost train, the six passengers decide to stay the night . Soon they regret this decision as ghostly and not so ghostly apparitions materialize and the Ghost train come barreling down the line.

Rehearsals for The Ghost Train begin September 17 with performances running October 4 through the 20 in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center. Performances are Wednesdays and Sundays at 2:00 PM, Thursdays at 7:30 PM and Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM. Centenary Stage Company operates under an AEA SPT 4 contract ($392.00 per week actor, $474.00 per week Stage Manager).

Seeking:

Miss Bourne - A severe spinster type: CAST

Julia Price: An attractive, blonde young woman, 20's - English

Elsie Winthrop: late twenties, independent

Peggy Murdock: Early 20's, just married

Teddie Deakin: A silly ass foppish Englishman, 30's - 40's. The hero.

Saul Hodgkin: Middle age, Maine Station Master: CAST

Richard Winthrop: 40's, a business man, take charge.

Charles Murdock: A well set up young man in his 20's. On his honeymoon.

Herbert Price: 50's, classy and slick.

John Sterling: 40's - 50's. A Doctor treating Julia Price.

Jackson: Stock man, 30's - 40's. A policeman.

For more information or to schedule an appointment please call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979 – 0900. The Centenary Stage Company box office is open Monday through Friday from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM and is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ on the campus of Centenary University.  Centenary Stage Company can also be found across social media platforms; Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Like and follow to receive the latest in Centenary Stage Company news and special offers.

The 2019-2020 season of performing arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Sandra Kupperman Foundation, and CSC corporate sponsors, including Season Sponsor Heath Village Retirement Community, The House of the Good Shepherd, Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Medical Center with Atlantic Health System, Home Instead Senior Care (Washington), and Fulton Bank, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.

Next at Mile Square Theatre 'Pipeline'

Mile Square Theatre, Hudson County’s leading professional theatre, presents Dominique Morisseau’s searing drama Pipeline.

A mother’s hopes for her son clash with an educational system rigged against him. With profound compassion and lyricism, Pipeline brings an urgent conversation powerfully to the fore. Issues of class, race, parenting, and education in America come to the surface as we are left to question the structures that ultimately trap underserved communities.

Nya, an inner-city public high school teacher, is committed to her students but desperate to give her only son Omari opportunities they’ll never have. When a controversial incident at his upstate private school threatens to get him expelled, Nya must confront his rage and her own choices as a parent. But will she be able to reach him before a world beyond her control pulls him away?

“We are thrilled to produce this moving drama by Dominique Morisseau. It speaks to so much that is happening in America today, and we are honored to present Morisseau’s articulate voice on the MST stage,” says MST Artistic Director Chris O’Connor. “We’ve put together an incredibly gifted cast to render this moving story, and the production is in the very capable hands of Obie-winning director Kevin R. Free.” 

Pipeline stars Malikha Mallette (Daredevil, House of Cards), Marcus Denard Johnson, (Titan Theatre Company), Chadwick Antonio Rawlings (MST’s 7^th Inning Stretch), Jarvis Tomdio (Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Jessica Darrow (Bitter Greens at 59E59 Theaters), and Annie McAdams (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at MST).

“Pipeline is an emotionally harrowing, ethically ambiguous drama that raises barbed questions about class, race, parental duty, and the state of American education.”
—Variety

The creative team includes many MST resident designers; scenic designer Matthew J. Fick (The Net Will Appear), costume designer Natalie Loveland (It’s a Wonderful Life), lighting designer Jason Flamos (I and You), projection designer Joey Moro (Long Gone Daddy) and sound designer Frederick Kennedy.

Pipeline begins performances on Wednesday, September 11 and runs till Sunday, October 6. Opening night is September 13.

Pipeline, presented by Mile Square Theatre

1400 Clinton Street, Hoboken

September 11 through October 6: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm, and Sundays @ 3pm

Tickets available at www.milesquaretheatre.org, or by calling 201-683-7014.

Tickets are $15-40 • $18 students and seniors.

GROUP SALES available: email abaldwin@milesquaretheatre.org

Discount Parking available at The Harlow at 1330 Willow Avenue and at Little Man Parking at 1300 Jefferson Street.

For more information on Mile Square Theatre, please visit www.milesquaretheatre.org.

MST Season Sponsorship: Advance Realty, Bijou Properties, Jet.com, Kearny Bank, The Rockefeller Group.

Mile Square Theatre is supported by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, administered by the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Thomas A. Degise, County Executive, and the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Mile Square Theatre is a member of The New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

COMPANY BIOS:

MALIKHA MALLETTE (Nya), a Queens, NY native, is an actress and voiceover artist. Her stage credits include You Wouldn’t Expect, the award-winning NYC Fringe play, Colorblind’d and a revival of David Rabe’s In The Boom Boom Room. Her screen credits include work on Daredevil, House of Cards, Law & Order: SVU and Bull. Next up, you can see Malikha in the new Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga and on Search Party on TBS. A former radio personality on NYC’s Power 105.1, Malikha has voiced over 100 TV and radio commercials and can currently be heard narrating the TV One crime series Fatal Attraction.  Malikha is a proud graduate of Spelman College.  

JARVIS TOMDIO (Omari) is a first generation Cameroonian-American actor from the Washington D.C. area, currently based in New York City. He cultivated his immense passion for the craft while training at the Acting Studio NY. Recent credits include Ray Donovan and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 

JESSICA DARROW (Jasmine) is an actor and voiceover artist from Miami, FL. Off-Broadway credits include: Bitter Greens (59E59 Theaters), The Grievance Club (Classic Stage Company). Other favorite roles: Lucy in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Miami Stage Company) and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe). She studied at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University as well as at Shakespeare’s Globe. Jessica also starred in the film “Feast of the Seven Fishes” directed by Robert Tinnell, premiering in theaters this November. Instagram: @itmejessdarrow website: jessicadarrow.com

MARCUS DENARD JOHNSON (Xavier) is a New York City based actor, director, and theatre education administrator originally from Atlanta, GA. Marcus is the newly appointed Artistic Associate at Titan Theatre Company, where he is also a member of the resident acting company. New York City: A Christmas Carol, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, Twelfth Night (Titan Theatre), Othello (Hudson Warehouse), Two Gentleman of Verona (Inwood Shakespeare), Henry V (Gallery Players), Love's Labor’s Lost (Hip to Hip), The Exonerated (The Secret Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (American Bard), Regional: The Meeting (Ocean State Theatre) A Tale of Two Cities, Equus, To Kill a Mockingbird (Asolo Rep), The Wiz (True Colors). Directing: The Wiz, truth: The Testimonial of Sojourner Truth (Hope Summer Rep). Marcus holds an MFA from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training and a B.A. in Theater from Morehouse College. www.marcusdenardjohnson.com

CHADWICK ANTONIO RAWLINGS (Dun) has been acting in plays since his early youth. Most recently he has appeared in Theatre projects such as VtoX, A Soldier’s Play and Ain’t No Sunshine. He can also be seen in countless TV appearances as well as consistent modeling in fitness, fashion and business magazines. Chadwick is also an accomplished Martial Artist who instructs local youth and adults in the Afro-Brazilian art of Capoeira.

ANNIE McADAMS (Laurie) has worked regionally at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle (World Premiere of Smash by Jeffrey Hatcher) and at the Franklin Stage Company as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. New York City: Lydie Breeze (New York Theatre Workshop), Cruel and Barbarous Treatment (Culture Project). At Mile Square Theatre she appeared in Love of the Game, Fantasy League, God of Carnage, Core Values and Vanya, Sonia, Masha, and Spike. Annie is the Education Director for Mile Square Theatre and teaches at Drew University and Hudson County Community College.

KEVIN R. FREE (Director) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work as an actor, writer, director, and producer has been showcased and developed in many places, including FringeNYC, National Black Theater, The New Black Fest, The Moth Radio Hour, Project Y Theater, Flux Theater Ensemble, the Queerly Festival (of which he is now the curator), and The Fire This Time Festival, where he served as Producing Artistic Director for 5 years, winning an Obie for his work in 2015. Recent directing credits: The Last Five Years and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (Portland Stage); Topdog/Underdog (University of Arkansas); GLORY! (Dixon Place); The Fire This Time Festival 10^th Anniversary World Premiere Festival; WINNER (Samuel French Off-Broadway Play Festival). Kevin just appeared as Dr. Frans in the World Premiere of Wink at Marin Theater Company. More at kevinrfree.com and my carl.com; Twitter and IG: @kevinrfree and @mycarlprod

CHRIS O’CONNOR (Artistic Director, Producer) Chris is Founding Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre. In 2017, he received an Award of Excellence from the New Jersey Theatre Alliance for his leadership as Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre. As an actor, Chris has performed in such theatres as Franklin Stage Company, Seattle’s A Contemporary Theatre, The Culture Project, Soho Rep, The Ahmanson, Gloucester Stage, Provisional Theatre of Los Angeles, The Bathhouse Theatre, Seattle Children's Theatre, City Theatre in Pittsburgh, where he originated the role of Peter in Craig Wright’s The Pavilion, and at Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Billy Elliot. Recent TV and film credits include Magic City, Burn Notice, and the new indie thriller Depraved. Chris has directed over 25 productions at MST and has directed at theatres and universities all over America, most recently at Franklin Stage Company where he directed Billy Bishop Goes to War. Other recent work includes The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged at Lyric Repertory in Logan, Utah, and recently at Mile Square Theatre; I and You, The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi, Betrayal, Circle Mirror Transformation and the world premiere of Long Gone Daddy by Joseph Gallo. He played Vanya in last season’s production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Chris chairs the newly formed Hoboken Arts Advisory Board for the City of Hoboken. He is an Assistant Professor on the Theatre Arts faculty at Molloy College. Chris holds a BFA from Carnegie-Mellon University and an MFA from Rutgers University.

 

UCPAC Presents Into the Woods at Hamilton Stage

Union County Performing Arts Center presents Into the Woods from Friday, September 6th to Saturday, September 21st at the Hamilton Stage in Rahway, NJ.

ICON 2018 winner, Jared Milian, has chosen Into the Woods as his dream show. The wildly popular musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lepine intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. Jared will be playing the role of the Witch.

Performances:

Friday, September 6, 2019 – 8:00PM

Saturday, September 7, 2019 – 8:00PM

Sunday, September 8, 2019 – 2:00PM

Friday, September 13, 2019 – 8:00PM

Saturday, September 14, 2019 – 8:00PM

Sunday, September 15, 2019 – 2:00PM

Friday, September 20, 2019 – 8:00PM

Saturday, September 21, 2019 – 8:00PM

The Union County Performing Arts Center’s Hamilton Stage is located at 360 Hamilton Street in Rahway, NJ.

General admission tickets, starting at $25.00, can be purchased at www.ucpac.org/events, in person at the Box Office, or by calling 732.499.8226. The Box Office can be reached via email at boxoffice@ucpac.org.

Theater Project celebrating 25th Anniversary with Casino Royale Gala

Gambling on the arts is always a good bet!Help us celebrate 25 years of taking chances on thought-provoking plays, original work, and even an occasional classic.

Your ticket for the event includes:  buffet dinner  betting chips for the table games many chances to win prizes. A cash bar will be available. Tickets: $75 per person until September 6 when the price increases to $85 -- buy early! TICKETS: TheTheaterProject.org Saturday, October 5th, Noon to 4:00 PM Galloping Hill Caterers, 1085 Galloping Hill Rd, Union, NJ 07083

2nd Annual Just Be You Performing Arts Youth Film Festival August 30

A new film festival designed just for the youth is now free for kids and teens. The 2^nd Annual Just Be You Performing Arts Youth Film Festival takes places on Friday, August 30, 2019, at the Paul Robeson Campus Center Dance Theater at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. Kids and teens under the age of 17-year’s-old are admitted free of charge with an accompanied adult. The festival features a diverse collection of short-films created by youth filmmakers.

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors and individual donations made by supporters of the event, the festival organizer, Mahogany Reynolds, decide to make the festival free for children. Parents who purchase an adult ticket can bring their children at no additional charge. Tickets can be purchased on the festival website www.justbeyoufestival.com

“It is important to me that parents can afford to bring the entire family to this youth driven festival.  I feel honored to be in a position, thanks to sponsors and supporters, to serve the community in this way. The Just Be You Festival has something for everyone. Films, singing, theater, and music. It’s truly a one of a kind event designed for our youth,” said Reynolds, the founder and executive director of Just Be You Performing Arts.

“What makes this festival unique is that its sole and main focus is the youth. To see a festival in which the youth have the opportunity to display their talents and abilities is remarkable. What inspired me to return as the host again this year; was the children, and the founder of the festival. I want children to know that they are a major contribution to the entertainment industry, and that their work, and voices matter. Mahogany has such a genuine heart, and her impact on children; and her love for what she does makes this festival stand out,” said Crystal NuChurch, accomplished actress of Jersey City, New Jersey, who hosted the inaugural festival in 2018.

This year’s festival is co-hosted by kids from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. CJ Thompson of Jersey City, New Jersey, Mya Mosley of Newark, New Jersey, and Amelia Alfriero of Pipersville, Pennsylvania. Reynolds; a seasoned journalist and talk show host, held a casting call and children from all over the metro area applied. She is training the three selected co-hosts, on stage presence, public speaking, and interviewing skills, to help prepare them for the festival.

Special Addition Films in ASL

A special feature being added to this season of the Just Be You Festival is showcasing films that include American Sign Language (ASL). Reynolds deemed it vital to make the festival all-inclusive and saw a need for children with hearing disabilities to be able to enjoy a film festival. The new children’s comedy series “CHI-nanigans” will be the festival’s special featured film. Jil Ross, of Chicago, Illinois, creator of the series, will be in attendance for a rare Q&A session. Based upon  a diverse cast of kids and their adventures in their Chicago neighborhood, Ross produced several episodes of the “CHI-nanigans” series with ASL, to reach a wider audience of children.

“I have a cousin who was born deaf and as children I felt bad that he usually sat apart from us (other cousins) because he couldn’t hear the television and captions were not an option at the time. In addition most individuals born deaf learn to sign by the age of six months but typically read between the ages of 9 and 11.  I identified  a  market of people (between the ages of one and nine years old) who are otherwise, still today, are ostracized because they can’t hear, and have not yet learned to read captions. This bridges that gap and makes the conversation and televised content more inclusive,” said Ross.

Reynolds decided to make “CHI-nanigans” a special feature at the festival because Ross’ shared vision of all-inclusiveness. Ross is an American author, playwright, storyteller, screenwriter, and producer who is best known for The Shenanigans Series™ of children’s books which she began publishing in 2003. While growing up, she was often in the company of family, neighbors, and friends who lived with conditions such as stuttering, deafness, albinism, dwarfism, vitiligo, and alopecia, Ross explained. Her goal has been to create comedy; in a humorous yet respectful way, that showcases inclusion in a way that’s not currently being explored. The stories she writes are inspired by her real-life events.

“I’m honored to be a finalist in the Just Be You Performing Arts Youth Film Festival. My intention was simply to change the trajectory of film, televised content, and the overall viewing experience. So being recognized for this effort is truly the cherry on top. It’s not what I was seeking. My ASL episodes currently have more views than the non ASL, which confirms to me that there is a need for this kind of inclusion. I think in today’s tense social climate, it’s important that we reach across the line to include people with different abilities, whatever those abilities are,” said Ross.

Highlight on New Jersey Youth Filmmakers

The Just Be You Festival will screen a diverse array of short-films in the categories of: animation, documentary, short feature, dance video, music video, and live action. The submission process was world wide and youth filmmakers from all over the globe submitted their films. A special emphasis was placed on New Jersey youth filmmakers and the festival will include films made by several students at New Jersey schools. One such school is Middletown High School North, in Middletown, New Jersey.

Film and Television teacher, Christopher Cullen, submitted films on behalf of his students. Three of those films were selected as finalist in the festival. “Pieces of Mosaic” a dance film by Yazemin Yilmaz, “The Letter” a short feature by Joanna Downing, Alyssa McCall and Joanna Downing, and “Beyond Dreams” a documentary also by Yilmaz. In 2018, one of Cullen’s former students, Alex Lehotsky, received the festival’s Best New Jersey Filmmaker Youth Division Award. They are now up for three awards this year.

“I am very excited for my students having three films in this year's festival.  Last year I went to the festival and saw so much talent and had a wonderful time. One of my students won an award for her short film last season and now she is attending Montclair Film School.  I can not wait to come to this year's screenings and represent my students and Middletown North High School.  I will be going into my third year as the TV/Film teacher and I hope we can continue our success,” said Cullen.

Tickets to the festival can be purchased at www.justbeyoufestival.com. Kids and teens attend free with an accompanied adult ticket purchase. Seniors receive a special discount to the festival. The festival starts at 12 noon with a free workshop for kids in the performing arts. Following the workshop will be the film screenings. The festival concludes with an awards ceremony that features special performances and VIP Special Guest Speaker, Skyy Luke, of Jersey City, New Jersey, an award-winning actress and professional public speaker. To close the event, Reynolds will premiere her original short-play, “Bereaved, Befuddled & Bewildered”, a family drama, inspired by a true story, staring actors from New Jersey and New York.

“We are all very excited about this year’s festival. A lot of hard work and love has gone into the planning process. Our goal is for every seat to be filled with kids to enjoy a festival that is made just for them,” said Reynolds.

Reynolds is actively seeking sponsors and vendors to participate in the festival. To learn more about the how to become a sponsor or register to be vendor, visit their website.